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Category Archives: Seven Layer Bars

7-Layer bars (aside from “dirt” pudding) are my favorite guilty pleasure. You can throw these together in as little as a few minutes provided you have all the ingredients on-hand. I find a parchment-lined baking sheet is the easiest when it comes to de-panning 7-layer bars. You’ll want to trim two sheets so they’ll lay down smoothly in the pan, one top-to-bottom, one side-to-side. Preheat your oven to 350. Apply some cooking spray to your 9″ x 13″ pan:

Then in goes the side-to-side piece of parchment.

Spray on a little more lubrication to help the top-to-bottom piece adhere, then apply it.

Now for the coconut. Spread it out on a sheet pan…

…and toast about 6 minutes until lightly browned at the edges.

Now to built them. Pour the melted butter into the pan…

…then the graham cracker crumbs and mix until all the crumbs are coated.

Pat down the mixture.

Now for the good stuff. Sprinkle on the walnuts…

…the chocolate chips…

…the white chocolate chips…

…the butterscotch chips…

…and the coconut, then pour on the can of sweetened condensed milk. Yes, this is excessive. Yes, this is “American.” I am not ashamed.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. When cool, remove from the pan by grasping the parchment and lifting out the entire sheet.

It isn’t too hard to figure out how these bars get their name. They’re made by applying a series of seven ingredients to a baking dish and binding them together with a can of sweetened condensed milk (thank-you 1950′s America!). The recipe goes like so:

Preheat your oven to 350. Spread the coconut out onto a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes until the coconut just starts to brown. Remove and set aside. Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Pour in the melted butter. Add the crushed graham crackers and mix until all the crumbs are moistened. Press the “crust” mixture down into an even layer. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, the white chocolate chips, the butterscotch chips and finally the coconut. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and pour over the mixture, being careful to cover as much of the pan as possible. Bake about 20 minutes until browned on top.

Allow the bars to cool completely, even refrigerate if desired. Grasping the edges of the parchment paper, pull the baked sheet out of the pan, slice into squares and serve. I think they taste best after they mellow in the fridge for two or three days.